inspired meals created with ingredients on hand (most of the time)

Shrimp “sort of curry style”

As I explored the freezer for something new and exciting to appear for dinner – I spied the bag in the mist. Among the frozen peas and the many ice packs. A bag of frozen shrimp.

Purchased on sale, forgotten and frozen in time.

Some cold running water and it would be defrosted in no time. I sliced some zucchini from the depths of the crisper. I always buy it and then struggle to use it before the skins starts getting a little wrinkly. Just a suspicion but I don’t think everybody in the house likes it as much as I do. I also prepped some sliced onions, some of the frozen peas and remember that can of diced tomatoes I opened only to discover they were not plain but actually tomatoes laced with balsamic vinegar? Well I could think of no better way to use it up.

I call this particular cabinet stew “shrimp sort of curry style” or maybe it was more like “shrimp sort of tiki Marsala style?” Anyway I make a lot of this pseudo-ethnic food. My husband is an adventurous eater but doesn’t like things too spicy. I am less adventurous and can never follow a recipe properly especially if it takes too long. How long is too long? Depends on my mood and whether or not I have to make a special trip to a store for an ingredient. You can probably figure out what happens. So when you combine these two influences in our house you get a lot of cabinet stews with just a touch of worldly influence.

Luckily I wrote this one down because it was simply delicious and deserves to be re-created. Let me know if you try it!

Here is the breakdown:

1/2 tablespoon Emeril’s Essence (simply THE best all-purpose seasoning out there – no it is not spicy and no I am not being paid to promote it – I wish!)

1 medium zucchini sliced in 1/8″ thick rounds

1 small onion chopped or sliced – your choice.

1 cup frozen peas – no need to defrost.

1 can diced tomatoes Aprox 16 oz ideally with balsamic vinegar already in it but you could just add 1 tablespoon to plain diced tomatoes.

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon oil for stir fry – I use canola

Salt and pepper to taste

4 Tablespoons Madras Curry Powder – take a good look at your neighborhood grocery store spice aisle – it is there – you just never saw it before.

It looks like this:

Thanks ChefShop via Amazon for this great photo!

In a small bowl coat the raw shrimp with all of the Madras curry powder. Meanwhile brown the onions and zucchini in the hot oil with salt, pepper and Emeril’s sprinkled on top for about 5 mins. Coat the raw shrimp with all of the curry powder. Add coated shrimp to pan and toss lightly. Spices should create a thick-ish light paste coating. Cook a few minutes (like 3) and add frozen peas, tomatoes, and soy sauce. If it seems dry add a few tablespoons of water but it really shouldn’t with the juicy browned veggies, the damp spice-coated shrimp, the frost on the frozen peas and the juice of the tomatoes and the soy sauce. Cook for 5 mins or just until shrimp is pink and done. DON”T OVERCOOK. Serve immediately over cooked Basmati rice – or what ever you have in the cabinet.